Jayden's Nightmare
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: As the fight of his life looms, Jayden needs all the support he can get.


**Legal: **I don't own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, characters etc. Anything else should be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T - adult themes.

Fire burned all around him, and also within him. In the midst of battle, Jayden had always been in his element, sometimes quite literally. He had been raised since he was able to walk for the day that the fate of the world would rest on his shoulders. Firstly by his father, and when that was no longer possible, Mentor Ji had raised him. Where most kids would have spent days playing catch with their fathers, Jayden had learned more than a dozen feint and disarm drills before he was ready for kindergarten.

On this day though, the world had quite literally gone to hell. The veil between the real world and the Netherworld had ruptured, and forces spilled forth in a deluge that seemed without end. Every building was aflame, and anyone that wasn't already incapacitated was fighting for their life.

As he finished off a Nighlock, he saw a little way off, Dekker was standing there. Urumasa was in his hand. He just pointed towards the Red Ranger, before gesturing to him to come forth.

Jayden tightened his grip on his spin sword and rushed him, swinging wildly. He roared as he smashed home every blow with all the strength he could muster. In the end though, it wasn't enough. It didn't matter. He had trained his whole life, learning techniques that many people twice his age hadn't, but it didn't matter. In the end, he had only one lifetime's worth of training behind him, Dekker had several.

He found himself dumped on his backside several feet from him. Jayden's suit gave up and disappeared, leaving him exposed. Dekker started to approach him.

"Jayden!" Antonio screamed as he rushed over. Jayden was too weak to do anything to intervene. His scream filled the air, and his lungs threatened to explode within his chest, but it was all far too late. With one stroke, Dekker raked across his chest, de-morphing him, before ramming Urumasa into him, sinking it in up to the hilt.

His eyes filled with tears as Jayden saw Antonio's eyes bulging in his head and blood starting to leak from his mouth. Dekker twisted the sword, before withdrawing it, allowing Antonio to sink to his knees, before flopping to the ground face-first.

Jayden scrambled over, turning Antonio over and holding him on his lap. The Gold Ranger looked up to him, reaching up with his hand as he breathed his final breaths.

Jayden felt every inch of him burning, his power never greater than at that moment, and threatening to consume him. He rushed Dekker, but with one stroke, Urumasa shattered his spinsword, raining pieces of steel in all directions, before it came across his abdomen.

Jayden fell to his knees, and felt a wet warmth as his own intestines fell into his lap. He held them in his hands as he started to fade, looking around. He saw Emily lying dead a little way off. Mike fell to a blade a little way from her. Dekker stood over him.

"I will grant you an honourable death." He stated. Jayden closed his eyes as Dekker brought Urumasa back over his shoulder.

He snapped upright, gasping for air and soaked in sweat.

"Jay." He heard a voice whisper. He felt a hand on his shoulder as his heart continued to beat at a million beats a minute. "Jayden!"

He looked to his roommate, Antonio, and was instantly thankful that he was there. He threw his arms around Antonio, holding him tightly, almost afraid to let him go. Antonio just held him in response.

"Another nightmare?" He asked. Jayden just nodded in response. Antonio knew that the fact Dekker had regained Urumasa troubled him, and that he was terrified of the day he would return and seek out their duel again. He knew that Jayden had blamed himself for the fact he hadn't won the battle, and that as a result of Dekker gaining the blade again, he doubted himself and his ability.

Antonio parted from Jayden, looking to the man he loved so much trembling in terror. Jayden had never been afraid of anything, but recently his fear was crippling. Antonio held his hands, and frowned, feeling that his flesh was as cold as ice.

"Come with me." He whispered. Jayden had no intention of arguing, and simply followed without another word.

A while later, in the kitchen, Antonio laid a cup down in front of him. There were a couple of marshmallows floating in it, five to be exact, all of appropriate colours. As Jayden looked up, Antonio smiled.

"I couldn't find any gold ones." He told him, taking a sip from his own mug. "Seriously, you have to stop doing this to yourself."

"I can't help it." Jayden sighed.

"Jayden, there's nothing you can't do." Antonio said, taking his hand softly. "The stuff you and the others have done here on a daily basis still gets to me. You're amazing..."

"It isn't enough!" Jayden put down flatly. "Dekker's the greatest swordsman there's ever been!"

"Jayden, you're only letting him get into your head!" Antonio assured him. "You're better with a sword than anyone..."

"Twice!" Jayden snapped. "He's beaten the bearer of Urumasa twice!"

"And at least one of those times he was a human." Antonio reminded him. "It is possible..."

"I don't know." Jayden replied, sipping his hot chocolate. "I mean, sure I'm good, but Dekker's on a whole different league."

"You just keep telling yourself that." Antonio said, beginning to stroke the back of Jayden's hand softly with his thumb. "You seriously..."

"Antonio, you don't understand!" He interrupted him sharply. "The whole world's resting on me..."

"Wasn't that always the case?" Antonio said with a little chuckle. Jayden just gave him a little look to shut him up.

"Antonio..." He sighed and shook his head. "These dreams, there's something I haven't told you."

"What?" Antonio asked him. Jayden just looked to him.

"He killed you." Jayden told him. Antonio just smiled at him.

"That's it?" He asked him. "Seriously, it's a dream..."

"I can't do it Antonio, I can't!" Jayden put down harshly. Antonio just looked stunned by Jayden's reaction. He was so strong and stoic, he couldn't remember anything getting under his skin like this.

"You can fight..."

"That's not it." He interrupted, holding Antonio's hand. "I can't lose you."

Antonio just moved in closer, hugging Jayden tightly.

"I'm not going anywhere have you got that?" He asked him. "Seriously, I don't care how many slices Dekker takes out of me, I guarantee you that you won't lose me."

"Antonio..."

"I mean it Jay!" Antonio said as he held the Red Ranger's face in his hands, looking directly into his eyes. "I swear to you right here and right now, no matter what happens, even if I don't make it, I'll wait for you."

He moved in, pressing his lips to Jayden's quickly, before parting, smiling at him.

"You'll never lose me." Antonio assured him. "You couldn't if you tried."

Jayden's right hand strayed to Antonio's cheek, and the two of them came together, kissing passionately. As they did, Antonio noticed something out the corner of his eye.

Mike had woken up and gone to get a glass of water. He had been trying to convince Emily that Jayden and Antonio were more than 'just friends', but so far had never found anything conclusive. Seeing this, he had whipped out his cell phone and put it on camera mode.

However, he could see them together, in each other's grasp, and all of a sudden, it meant something completely different to him. When he had first suspected that they were a couple, he was annoyed that they got to share a room while the others hadn't. When he thought about it more, it bothered him that they were keeping a secret. Now though, he could see something else entirely.

The way Antonio's hands held Jaden softly, gently, tenderly, it was clear to him in a way he couldn't understand before. The way Antonio looked at Jayden, touched him...it was the way he touched Emily.

His thumb was hovering over the button, but he just put the phone away and nodded. Antonio saw the gesture and acknowledged it. He knew Mike had seen them, and given them a pass. Antonio just looked to Jayden and smiled, before kissing him passionately.


End file.
